1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a recording apparatus for effecting recording on a recording medium such as a recording sheet.
The present invention can be suitably applied to a recording apparatus such as a printer or a facsimile apparatus in which a recording head is carried on a carrier reciprocally movable in the widtwise direction of a recording medium and recording is effected while main scanning is effected in a direction perpendicular to the direction of feeding of the recording medium.
2. Related Background Art
A serial recording apparatus will hereinafter be described as an example.
The prior-art serial recording apparatus is of such structure that a guide shaft for guiding a carrier is fixed between the right and left frame members of the apparatus body and the shafts of a sheet feeding roller for conveying a recording sheet and a guide roller are rotatably supported, and the range of movement of said carrier and the lengths of said rollers are set to dimensions which cover the greatest recordable sheet width.
Now, the determination of the greatest recordable sheet width is done with that sheet width taken into account though it may be used rarely, and therefore, the greatest recordable sheet width is generally much greater than the sheet width used usually.
Therefore, the widthwise dimension of the recording apparatus also generally becomes greater than necessary when viewed from its daily use.
However, the intermediate portion in the widthwise direction of the serial recording apparatus is merely a space for securing the movement distance of the carrier and therefore, the use of a recording apparatus of great width which takes into account recording sheets only rarely used as previously mentioned has led to the possibility of the apparatus becoming uneconomical in terms of space.